Resources

Lower-Emission School Bus Program

This page last reviewed February 8, 2017

Overview

The primary goal of the Air
Resources Board's
(ARB's) Lower-Emission School Bus Program is to
reduce school children's exposure to both cancer-causing and
smog-forming pollution. The program provides grant funding for new,
safer school buses and to put air pollution control equipment (i.e.,
retrofit devices) on buses that are already on the road.

With
appreciation to Ms. Judy
Fogel and her Brentwood Science Magnet School
1999-2000 first grade class for the art work. With special
thanks to Lily, Leslie, Ilya, Hugo, Justin, and Ricardo.

Public
Workshop on November 4, 2016

The California Air Resources Board will hold a public workshop
regarding emissions from the school bus fleet in the State of
California. Staff will discuss the latest estimates of the statewide
population of school buses, existing and potential funding sources
available, and possible strategies to clean up the California school
bus fleet.

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
Implementing the Lower-Emission
School Bus Program on Behalf of ARB

The
San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution
Control District (SJVAPCD) is implementing the Lower-Emission
School
Bus Program on behalf of ARB, prioritizing funding for school
districts in the
small and medium air districts. For eligible school bus owners in small
or medium air districts, when the application period is open, you would
apply for funding
directly to the
SJVAPCD as well as checking with your local air
district for
any available local funds.

Agreement between ARB and SJVAPCD to Fund Statewide School
Bus
Retrofit Program with Federal Fiscal Year 2016 State Diesel Emissions
Reduction Act
(DERA) and State Fiscal Year 2016-2017 ARB Funds

On February 3, 2017, ARB and SJVAPCD entered into a grant agreement to
fund a statewide school bus retrofit program. The agreement
allocates U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) funds from a
Cooperative Agreement between U.S. EPA and ARB, and funds from ARB, to
SJVAPCD to implement the program. The grant agreement awards
$861,000 – $489,832 in State DERA funding and $371,168 in ARB funding –
to SJVAPCD to retrofit school buses throughout California with diesel
emission control strategies (with the option to implement several other
back-up project types if necessary). It is anticipated that
approximately 41 school buses will be retrofitted.

Under similar agreements, SJVAPCD accomplished the following with funds
from previous fiscal years:

Fiscal
Year

Number of School Buses Retrofitted Statewide

Total
Grant Award

State
DERA

ARB
funds

2011-2012

30

$546,000

$317,185

$228,815

2012-2013

41

$777,000

$454,899

$322,101

2013-2014

19

$357,000

$205,152

$151,848

2014-2015

22

$420,000

$249,792

$170,208

2015-2016

38

$711,255

$415,905

$295,350

For State fiscal years 2011-2012 through 2015-2016, projects
in small and medium air districts received funding preference over
projects in large air districts.

Agreement between ARB and SJVAPCD to Fund Statewide School
Bus Retrofit
and Replacement Program with Funds from the Budget Act of 2013

The Budget Act of 2013 –
Assembly Bill 110, Chapter 20,
Statutes of 2013 – authorizes ARB to use
approximately $1.1 million of funds from the California Clean Water,
Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Act of 2002
(Proposition 40) and the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air
Quality, and Port Security Bond Act of 2006 (Proposition 1B).
Senate Bill 96, Chapter 356, Statutes of 2013 directs the use of those
funds on the Lower-Emission School Bus Program. On February
4, 2014, ARB entered into an agreement with the SJVAPCD to allocate the
aforementioned funds to
the SJVAPCD to implement a statewide school bus retrofit and
replacement program. Projects in small and medium air
districts
will receive funding priority over projects in large air districts.

Lower-Emission School Bus Program 2007

Proposition 1B, which was
approved by the voters on
November 7th, 2006, enacts the Highway Safety, Traffic Reduction, Air
Quality, and Port Security Bond Act of 2006. This bond act authorizes
$200 million for replacing and retrofitting school buses.

Historic Lower-Emission School Bus Program 2000 - 2006
The ARB staff, in
coordination with the California Energy Commission
(CEC) and the local air pollution control districts, has developed
guidelines for implementation of the Lower-Emission School Bus Program
funds. The guidelines cover which buses and retrofits can be
purchased, requirements for the CEC and air districts running the
program, and the benefits of the program.